Applications of the Strengths Perspective
The KU School of Social Welfare’s educational, research, and professional training innovations have applied the Strengths Perspective to micro and macro practice and policy in many ways, explicitly and implicitly, from the 1980s until now. Examples of related publications from current and former KU faculty, researchers, and students in various fields are listed below.
Items are included in this list only if the research on which the publication is based began at or was under the auspices of KU and addresses strengths explicitly. The scholarly literature applying the Strengths Perspective to social work is now vast, with contributors in many universities, other settings for practice, policy, and research, and several countries. Many of these writings can be found by doing an internet search (e.g. Google Scholar) using key terms: “strengths”, “social work”, “practice” and “policy” and by replacing the broad terms “practice and policy” with more specific terms such as those focusing on fields of practice (e.g. aging), forms of practice (e.g. advocacy), or populations (e.g. African American). However, readers should be aware that not all social workers use the term ‘strengths’ in a way that is consistent with the Strengths Perspective principles.
*Note: Not a complete list as this page is still under construction. Items are included only if the research on which the publication is based began at or was under auspices of KU
African American Families and Communities
Banerjee, M. M., & Pyles, L. (2004). Spirituality: A source of resilience for African American women in the era of welfare reform. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 13(2), 45-70.
Freeman, E. M., & Logan, S. L. (Eds.). (2004). Reconceptualizing the strengths and common heritage of Black families: Practice, research, and policy issues. Charles C Thomas Publisher.
Logan, S.L. (Ed.). (2001). The Black family: Strength, self-help, and positive change, second edition. Boulder, CO: Westerview Press.
Aging and Gerontology
Chapin, R. K. (1995). Social policy development: The strengths perspective. Social work, 40(4), 506-514.
Chapin, R. K. (2017). Social policy for effective practice: A strengths approach, fourth edition. NY: Routledge.
Fast, B., & Chapin, R. K. (2000). Strengths-based care management for older adults. Health Professions Press.
Fast, B., & Chapin, R. (2000). Strengths case management in long term care. Baltimore, MD: Health.
Fast, B., & Chapin, R. (2002). The strengths model with older adults: Critical practice components. The strengths perspective in social work practice, 3, 143-162.
Nelson-Becker, H., Canda, E.R., & Nakashima, M. (2015). Spirituality in professional practice with older adults. In D. B. Kaplan & B. Berkman (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of social work in health and aging, revised edition (chapter 7, pp. 73-84) New York: Oxford University Press.
Sellon, A. M., Chapin, R. K., & Leedahl, S. N. (2017). Engaging Nursing Home Residents in Formal Volunteer Activities: a Focus on Strengths. Aging International, 42(1), 93-114.
Capabilities Theory and Social Justice
Banerjee, M. M. (2011). Social work scholars' representation of Rawls: A critique. Journal of Social Work Education, 47(2), 189-211.
Banerjee, M. M., & Canda, E. R. (2012). Comparing Rawlsian justice and the capabilities approach to justice from a spiritually sensitive social work perspective. Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 31, 9-31.
Banerjee, M. M., & Damman, J. L. (2013). The capabilities approach: A framework to understand and enhance TANF recipients’ employability. Journal of Poverty, 17(4), 414-436.
Children and Family Services
Allen, R. I., & Petr, C. G. (1998). Rethinking family‐centered practice. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 68(1), 4-15.
Cheon, J. W., & Canda, E. R. (2010). The meaning and engagement of spirituality for positive youth development in social work. Families in Society, 91(2), 121-126.
Grube, W., & Mendenhall, A. N. (2016). Adolescent mental health case management: Provider perspectives. Social Work in Mental Health, 14, 583-605. doi: 10.1080/15332985.2015.1089971
Grube, W., & Mendenhall, A.N. (2016). Adolescent mental health case management: Consumer perspectives. Families in Society, 97(2), 86-94. doi: 10.1606/1044-3894.2016.97.13
Mendenhall, A. N., & Grube, W. (2017). Developing a new approach to case management in youth mental health: Strengths model for youth case management. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 34(4), 369-379. doi:10.1007/s10560-016-0467-z
Mendenhall, A.N., Grube, W., & Jung, E. (2019). Implementing strengths model for youth in community mental health: Impact on case managers’ professional quality of life. Children and Youth Services Review. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.04.020
Petr, C.G. (2004). Social work with children and their families, second edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Petr, C.G. (2015). “Birth” of the strengths perspective. Social Work, 60(3), 271.
Rapp, C.A. & Sullivan, W. P. (2014). The strengths model: Birth to toddlerhood. Advances in Social Work, 15(1), 129-142.
Schuetz, N., Mendenhall, A.N., & Grube, W. (2019). Strengths model for youth case management: Professionals’ perceptions of model impact on clients. Social Work in Mental Health, 17(4), 426-448. doi:10.1080/15332985.2018.1563024
Education of Social Workers
Lieberman, A. A. (2011). The social workout book: Strength-building exercises for the pre-professional, second edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Family Violence
Anderson, K. L. (2010). Conflict, power, and violence in families. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(3), 726-742.
Financial Assets Development, Micro-Enterprise, and Poverty Issues
Banerjee, M. M. (1997). Strengths in a slum: A paradox?. Journal of Applied Social Sciences, 22, 45-58.
Banerjee, M. M. (1998a). Micro-enterprise development: A response to poverty. Journal of Community Practice, 5(1), 63-83.24.
Banerjee, M. M. (1998b). Strengths in a slum: A paradox? Journal of Applied Social Sciences, 22(1), 45-58.
Banerjee, M. M. (2001). Micro-enterprise training (MET) program: an innovative response to welfare reform. Journal of Community Practice, 9(4), 87-106.
Health Resilience
Canda, E. R. (2013). Chronic illness and spiritual transformation. In D. Saleebey (Ed.), The strengths perspective in social work practice, sixth edition (pp. 79-96). Boston: Pearson.
Weick, A. (1986). The philosophical context of a health model of social work. Social Casework, 67(9), 551-559.
Holistic Conceptual Approaches to Social Work
Koenig, T. L., & Spano, R. N. (1998). Taoism and the strengths perspective. Social Thought, 18(2), 47-65.
Koenig, T.L., & Spano, R.N. (2007). The cultivation of social workers' hope in personal life and professional practice. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 26(3), 45-61.
Robbins, S. P., Chatterjee, P., Canda, E. R., & Leibowitz, G. S. (2019). Contemporary human behavior theory: A critical perspective for social work, fourth edition. New York: Pearson.
Indigenous education
LGBTQI+ Affirmative Practice
Crisp, C. (2006). The gay affirmative practice scale (GAP): A new measure for assessing cultural competence with gay and lesbian clients. Social Work, 51(2), 115-126.
Crisp, C., & McCave, E. L. (2007). Gay affirmative practice: A model for social work practice with gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 24(4), 403-421.
Mental Health Recovery
Fukui, S., Davidson, L. J., Holter, M. C., & Rapp, C. A. (2010). Pathways to recovery (PTR): Impact of peer-led group participation on mental health recovery outcomes. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 34(1), 42.
Fukui, S., Goscha, R., Rapp, C. A., Mabry, A., Liddy, P., & Marty, D. (2012). Strengths model case management fidelity scores and client outcomes. Psychiatric Services, 63(7), 708-710.
Kim, J. S. (Ed.). (2013). Solution-focused brief therapy: A multicultural approach. Sage Publications.
Kisthardt, W. (1993). An empowerment agenda for case management research: Evaluating the strengths model from the. Case Management for Mentally Ill Patients, 1, 165.
Rapp, C. A. (1998). The strengths model: Case management with people suffering from severe and persistent mental illness. New York: Oxford University Press.
Rapp, C. A., & Chamberlain, R. (1985). Case management services for the chronically mentally ill. Social work, 30(5), 417-422.
Rapp, C. A. & Goscha, R. J. (2012). The strengths model: A recovery-oriented approach to mental health services. NY: Oxford University Press.
Ridgway, P., & Bledsoe, C. (2002). Pathways to recovery: A strengths recovery self-help workbook. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas School of Social Welfare.
Ridgway, P., McDiarmid, D., Davidson, L., Bayes, J., & Ratzlaff, S. (2002). Pathways to recovery. Lawrence: University of Kansas School of Social Welfare.
Ridgway, P., McDiarmid, D., Davidson, L., Bayes, J., & Ratzlaff, S. (2010)
Starnino, V. R., Gomi, S., & Canda, E. R. (2012). Spiritual strengths assessment in mental health practice. British Journal of Social Work, 1-19. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcs179
And accompanying free access brochure:
Restorative Justice and Mediation
Choi, J. J., & Severson, M. (2009). “What! What kind of apology is this?”: The nature of apology in victim offender mediation. Children and youth services review, 31(7), 813-820.
Choi, J. J., & Severson, M. (2009). Toward a culturally competent restorative justice practice framework: A focus on Asian Americans. Families in Society, 90(4), 399-406.
Severson, M. M., & Bankston, T. V. (1995). Social work and the pursuit of justice through mediation. Social work, 40(5), 683-691.
Social Policy
Chapin, R. K. (1995). Social policy development: The strengths perspective. Social work, 40(4), 506-514.
Chapin, R. K. (2017). Social policy for effective practice: A strengths approach, fourth edition. NY: Routledge.
Chapin, R.K., & Cox, E. O. (2002). Changing the paradigm: Strengths-based and empowerment-oriented social work with frail elders. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 36(3-4), 165-179.
Spiritual Diversity
Canda, E. R., & Furman, L. D. (2010). Spiritual diversity in social work practice: The heart of helping, second edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Note that the third edition will be available in October 2019 with publication date of 2020:
Canda, E. R., Furman, L. D., Canda, H. (in press, 2020). Spiritual diversity in social work practice: The heart of helping, third edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Women’s Empowerment
Davis, L. (Ed.). (1994). Building on Women’s Strengths: A Social Work Agenda for the Twenty-First Century. New York: Haworth Press.
Peterson, K. J., & Lieberman, A. A. (2001). Building on women's strengths: A social work agenda for the twenty-first century. Gulf Professional Publishing.
Edited Volumes Addressing Multiple Fields
Petr, C.G. (Ed) (2009). Multidimensional evidence based practice: Synthesizing knowledge, research, and values. New York and London: Routledge Taylor and Francis.
Saleebey, D. (1992). The strengths perspective in social work practice: Power in the people. White Plains, NY: Longman.
Saleebey, D. (Ed.). (2013). The strengths perspective in social work practice, sixth edition (pp. 79-96). Boston: Pearson.